Finance

Where Finance, Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Impact Intersect

The Finance Program at Berkeley Haas reflects the Bay Area at large; we live and excel here at the global intersection of finance, technology, entrepreneurship, and impact.

The program is perennially ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report, with faculty members who are leading researchers or leading practitioners in M&A, asset management, private equity, venture capital, impact investing, and fintech.

MBA students lead Finance, Investment, Private Equity, Fintech, and Venture Capital clubs and participate in national competitions like the Alpha Challenge, Impact Investing Competition, Sustainable Investing Challenge, and various private equity competitions.

Video: Finance student perspectives

 

Sample Finance Coursework

  • New Venture Finance
  • Asset Management
  • Private Equity
  • Venture Capital
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Corporate Finance
  • Investment Styles and Strategies

Experiential Learning Opportunities in Finance

Haas Sustainable Investment Fund

The Haas Sustainable Investment Fund is the first and largest student-led socially responsible investment fund within a leading business school. You gain real-world experience in delivering strong financial returns and positive social impact. Since 2008, the student principals have more than doubled the initial investment to over $2 million.

Hedge Fund Strategies

In Hedge Fund Strategies, student teams develop, test, and pitch their own investment strategies to a panel of investment professionals. Teams may continue on to execute their strategies in a related course the following semester. 

Through the Berkeley Impact Venture Partners - Investment course, student teams receive training on sourcing, evaluating, and conducting due diligence for double bottom line impact investing opportunities, and then compete to analyze and pitch such ventures to a panel of judges.

See the full list of Berkeley MBA experiential learning opportunities

Finance Scholarships and Fellowships

All scholarship and fellowship recipients are awarded scholarship money, are paired with a mentor in their field of interest, and receive priority enrollment in finance electives.

Banking and Asset Management Fellowships

A $5,000 scholarship and pairing with a mentor in investment banking or asset management.

Entrepreneurial Finance Fellowship

For students with career goals in finance at startups, venture and impact investing and emerging financial services technology. A $5,000 scholarship and pairing with a mentor in an entrepreneurial finance field.

CJ White Fellowship

A scholarship of up to $50,000 and mentorship.

Finance Faculty Spotlight

Professor Ulrike Malmendier researches corporate finance, behavioral economics and finance, the economics of organizations, contract theory, law and economics, and law and finance. She is the recipient of the 2013 Fischer Black Prize in Economics, which honors the top finance scholar under the age of 40.

Professor Annette Vissing-Jørgensen studies empirical asset pricing and household finance (particularly stock market participation), private equity and entrepreneurship, and disclosure regulation. She teaches the core Finance course.

Associate Professor Adair Morse is a Fellow at the Berkeley Center for Law and Business. She teaches the New Venture Finance Course and has taught Private Equity and entrepreneurial finance courses. She studies household finance, impact investing, entrepreneurship, corruption, and asset management.

Peter Goodson is a member of the professional faculty and a private equity pioneer, having served as an early stage partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, one of the first management buyout firms. He teaches Mergers & Acquisitions.

As executive director of strategic programs for the Berkeley Haas Finance Group, William Rindfuss develops programs to complement the finance curriculum and expands partnerships with the finance community and alumni. He previously worked as head of credit risk management for JPMorgan Investment Bank and as a VP with Chase Manhattan.

Meet more finance faculty.

Finance Co-Curriculars

The Finance Club organizes activities to assist members in evaluating careers in finance and identifying current career opportunities, and connects members with alumni and other finance professionals. The club runs a highly active calendar of events, in conjunction with other related clubs, that includes speakers, teach-ins, and workshops on topics from fintech to fixed income and financial modeling, as well as treks to firms such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan.

The FinTech Club connects students with career opportunities and prepares them to succeed as leaders in the fintech space. The club hosts speakers on topics such as blockchain and fintech for good, and leads treks to firms such as PayPal and Wealthfront.

The Investment Club supports student interest in investment and financial analysis and helps them conduct job searches in the investment management industry, with a focus on fostering relationships with West Coast firms. The club holds an internal stock pitch competition each year and fields teams for national competitions such as the UNC Alpha Challenge and the Cornell Stock-Pick Challenge. Students also lead treks to Bay Area and LA-based firms and to Omaha to meet with Warren Buffet.

The Private Equity Club offers opportunities for professional development and industry exposure, focusing on the range between growth equity and leveraged buyouts. The club offers speakers from such firms as Bain, Prudential, Softbank, and Alpine Investors. Members compete in an annual Berkeley LBO competition and field teams in competitions including the Wharton LBO Competition and ABI Corporate Restructuring Case Competition.

Support for Finance Careers

Students leverage their co-curricular experience, the Berkeley Haas Alumni Network, and the Career Management Group to pursue careers in finance. They benefit from training and advising from CMG professionals, workshops, treks to and visits from target firms, networking events, easy access to alumni and other professionals, and on-campus interviewing.

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Wellington, Parnassus, Square (and other FinTech startups) are just few of the employers who recognize the value a Berkeley MBA has to offer in finance. Additionally, firms such as Google and Amazon choose Berkeley MBA grads for in-house finance roles.

Claudia Silva Fajuri

Claudia Silva Fajuri

MBA 17

Fixed Income Strategy Associate
BlackRock

"Haas brought me up to speed in different asset classes, current industry trends, and different investment philosophies. It also helped me develop useful managerial and leadership skills, and I gained both the hard and soft skills that were vital in my recruiting process. In my current role at BlackRock, I'm able to achieve my professional goal of improving access to financial securities and diversification for all kinds of investors."